2. Academic Validation
  3. Baicalein exerts anxiolytic and antinociceptive effects in a mouse model of posttraumatic stress disorder: Involvement of the serotonergic system and spinal delta-opioid receptors

Baicalein exerts anxiolytic and antinociceptive effects in a mouse model of posttraumatic stress disorder: Involvement of the serotonergic system and spinal delta-opioid receptors

  • Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2022 Nov 30;110689. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110689.
Lina Ruan 1,  Kaiyu Guan 2,  Yue Wang 1,  Ming Gu 1,  Yue Chen 1,  Lisha Cai 1,  Ruixuan Ye 1,  Zhengwei Huang 3,  Anqi Guo 3,  Zhengkang Su 3,  Xi Li 4,  Jianchun Pan 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Laboratory Animal Center, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
  • 2 Wenzhou Seventh Peoples Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
  • 3 The Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
  • 4 The Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 5 Laboratory Animal Center, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Brain Institute, School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 36462602 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110689
Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental disease featured by a stress disfunction that occurs after an individual has faced intense mental stress, often accompanied by anxiety and chronic pain. Currently, the mainstream drug for PTSD is serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), however, their pain management for patients is limited. Baicalein, a Chinese traditional herbal medicine. Has shown promising results in treating anxiety, depression, and pain. In this study, we found that baicalein may alleviate single prolonged stress (SPS)-induced PTSD-like behaviors in mice without altering baseline nociceptive sensitivity or activity. Meanwhile, baicalein increased the noradrenaline (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) content and decreased the ratio of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)/5-HT by inhibiting the activity of Monoamine Oxidase A (MAO-A) in SPS-induce mice. The anxiolytic and antinociceptive effects induced by baicalein were totally abolished by 5-HT depleting agents. Moreover, the anxiolytic effects of baicalein could be abolished by the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635, and the analgesic effects could be abolished by delta-opioid receptor antagonists in the spinal. Taken together, our study provides compelling evidence that baicalein reversed anxiety-like behaviors and neuropathic pain in PTSD through serotonergic system and spinal delta-opioid receptors.

Keywords

Anxiety-like behaviors; Baicalein; Neuropathic pain; Opioid receptors; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Serotonergic system.

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